(http://projects.thestar.com/donald-trump-fact-check/)
"Looking more & more like the Trump Campaign for President was illegally being spied upon (surveillance) for the political gain of Crooked Hillary Clinton and the DNC."
in fact: There is still no evidence of this. And the surveillance Trump was complaining about on this day, of Carter Page, only began after Page left the campaign.
"Congratulations to @JudicialWatch and @TomFitton on being successful in getting the Carter Page FISA documents. As usual they are ridiculously heavily redacted but confirm with little doubt that the Department of 'Justice' and FBI misled the courts."
in fact: The documents do not show that the Department of Justice and the FBI misled the courts in seeking a warrant to surveil a former Trump adviser, Carter Page. In fact, the newly released documents proved that a Republican memo about the documents was misleading when it accused the Department of Justice and FBI of misleading the courts. As the New York Times reported: "The Republican memo issued in February said the FBI had failed to 'disclose or reference the role of the DNC, Clinton campaign or any party/campaign in funding Steele's efforts, even though the political origins of the Steele dossier were then known to senior DOJ and FBI officials.' But Democrats at the time contended that the court had been told that the research had politically motivated origins. The application contains a page-length explanation that does alert the court that the person who commissioned Mr. Steele's research was "likely looking for information to discredit" Mr. Trump's campaign. It goes on to explain why, notwithstanding Mr. Steele's 'reason for conducting the research,' the FBI believed it was credible. Republicans had also faulted the application for not explicitly identifying Mrs. Clinton's campaign and the Democratic National Committee by name. But that criticism ignored the fact that law enforcement officials were following a general policy not to name Americans, even referring to Mr. Trump only as 'Candidate #1' in renewal applications despite noting that he was now the president-elect and then the president. David Kris, an expert on the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act who served in the George W. Bush and Obama administrations, dismissed the notion that the intelligence court judges had been misled. 'Now we can see that the footnote disclosing Steele's possible bias takes up more than a full page in the applications, so there is literally no way the FISA Court could have missed it,' he wrote on the blog Lawfare."
"The Rigged Witch Hunt, headed by the 13 Angry Democrats (and now 4 more have been added, one who worked directly for Obama W.H.), seems intent on damaging the Republican Party's chances in the November Election."
in fact: By "rigged witch hunt," Trump means special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into his campaign's relationship with Russia. The investigation is being run by a Republican, Mueller himself. Though Mueller has indeed filled his team with Democrats, it is false to say the investigation is "headed" by these Democrats.
Trump has repeated this claim 2 times
"Inconceivable that the government would break into a lawyer's office (early in the morning) - almost unheard of. Even more inconceivable that a lawyer would tape a client - totally unheard of & perhaps illegal."
in fact: The government executed a search warrant at Trump lawyer Michael Cohen's office in April; it did not "break in." We'll continue let this claim go as a matter of rhetorical license, but the second part of Trump's tweet is flat-out incorrect: it was not illegal for Cohen to tape phone calls with Trump. Under New York state law, only one party to the conversation must consent for the recording to be legal.
"Now, we then go to a news conference. I mean I had these -- some of these fools from the media saying, 'Why didn't you stand there, look him in the face, walk over to him, and start shouting at him?'"
in fact: Unless we're missing something -- we'll remove this item from the list if someone shows us we were indeed missing something -- Trump's critics in the media did not demand he walk over to Putin and shout in his face; some of them merely said Trump should have professionally denounced Putin from his own spot at the press conference. According to a Wall Street Journal report, it was Trump's own aides who wanted Trump to get up in Putin's "face." The Journal reported: "In preparatory meetings, Mr. Trump and his aides discussed using the indictment to forcefully make the case. The plan was for Mr. Trump to invoke the indictment both in private meetings and in the public news conference afterward, a White House official said. The idea, the official said, was to 'shove it in Putin's face and look strong doing it,' depicting it as hard evidence of Russian crimes against America's electoral process."
"With Mexico, $120 billion (trade deficit). Mexico. Who would think Mexico? Mexico's making a fortune."
in fact: The U.S. trade deficit with Mexico was $69 billion in 2017, $71 billion in 2017 when counting goods alone. Trump has usually claimed that the deficit with Mexico is $100 billion; this was the first time he exaggerated all the way to $120 billion.
"China: with China, $507 billion a year in deficits." And: "We're down 500. Now some people would say $375 billion. I'm not talking about million. I'm not talking about pennies. I'm talking about -- we're down $375 billion, but other estimates could say $507, it doesn't matter. So it's in between there, or it's there." And: "And it's very interesting because I actually asked them the question, 'So we're down 507 -- recently -- we're down $507 billion in trade deficits. How did it happen?' And they told me, 'Nobody ever complained. Nobody ever talked to us.'" (Trump has repeated this claim 34 times)
in fact: The U.S. has never once had a $500 billion trade deficit with China, according to U.S. government data. The deficit was $337 billion in 2017, $375 billion if you only count trade in goods. There are no estimates by which it "could say" $507 billion.
"You know last year, and for years, we have been losing $150 billion with the EU nations, with the European Union..." And: "With the EU $151 billion..." (Trump has repeated this claim 46 times)
in fact: The U.S. had a $102 billion trade deficit with the European Union in 2017. The $150 billion figure -- $151 billion, to be precise -- counts only trade in goods and excludes trade in services. Trump, as usual, did not say he was excluding services.
". . . Trump and his press secretary Sarah Sanders insisted they were also owed an apology from ABC for airing derogatory comments about the administration. . . after Trump wrote on Twitter that Bob Iger, the president of ABC's parent company, Disney, had failed to express regret for the negative things people have said on air about him. " . . . reading from a list of examples meant to bolster Trump's point, including ESPN host Jemele Hill calling Trump a white supremacist on Twitter, "The View" host Joy Behar likening Christianity to mental illness [THERE's one that relevant to Trump????] and ESPN anchor Keith Olbermann attacking Trump as a Nazi. . . her answer on Barr stretched longer than her responses on North Korea or Puerto Rico. "The President is simply calling out media bias," . . . and he's focused on doing what is best for our country."
". . . the most successful first 17 month Administration in U.S. history - by far! Sorry to the Fake News Media and “Haters,” but that’s the way it is!. . . "
". . . The White House did not respond to a request for evidence backing up Mr. Trump’s claim that he has led “the most successful first 17 month Administration in U.S. history.” But in the past, the president has noted the number of bills he has signed, deregulation and the appointment of Justice Neil Gorsuch to the Supreme Court to prove this point. . . Seventeen months into his presidency, Mr. Trump has signed the second-fewest bills among the last 10 presidents, said Joshua Tauberer, the creator of GovTrack, a web tool for tracking legislation. . ."
(from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/steven-mnuchin-treasury-secretary_us_582caddbe4b058ce7aa8b9c0)
". . . Donald Trump said the system is rigged. . . hedge fund managers are “getting away with murder.” . . . he’d “tax Wall Street.” . . .called Washington D.C. corrupt and promised to “drain the swamp.” . . . said his opponent Hillary Clinton was too cozy with the banks, as epitomized by her closed-door paid speeches. . . said Clinton’s vice presidential nominee, Tim Kaine, was “owned by the banks” and that he, Trump, would break them up. Trump closed his campaign with an ad bashing Goldman Sachs and George Soros, using classically anti-Semitic phrases. . . And now, according to The New York Times, ABC and CBS, the president-elect has chosen a second-generation Goldman Sachs partner who worked for George Soros before starting a hedge fund and buying IndyMac, a failing California bank that made billions while foreclosing on homeowners after the financial crisis. . . Steven Mnuchin. . . "
(from http://www.nbcnews.com/politics/politics-news/donald-trump-proposes-two-illegal-responses-flag-burning-n689726)
". . . (Trump, the)president-elect advocates two blatantly illegal punishments for Americans engaged in free speech. . . "Nobody should be allowed to burn the American flag," Trump wrote on Twitter, "if they do, there must be consequences - perhaps loss of citizenship or year in jail!". . . There are no criminal consequences for flag burning, however, because the Supreme Court has twice ruled that flag burning is a type of political expression. That means it is protected from government punishment by the First Amendment, regardless of what Congress or the president thinks. . . "
(from http://riyadhconnect.com/african-girl-receives-thousands-of-riyals-in-donations-after-man-in-saudi-posts-selfie-with-her/)
An African child has received thousands of riyals in donations after a man posted a selfie with her picking through trash in the background on Twitter in the Saudi city of Jeddah.
The photo sparked outrage on Twitter and prompted a huge outpouring of kindness online.
Local newspaper Al Marsad reported that the man who came under heavy criticism for taking the selfie, roamed Jeddah until he found the girl so he can apologise and offer her gifts.
Since the selfie was posted, generous Twitter users have donated money and gifts to the girl. Famous Saudi rally driver Yazeed Al-Rajhi donated SR50,000 to the little girl.
Other supporters have also donated huge amounts and a businessman pledged to give the girl a monthly allowance for life.
OHO's "Ocean City Ditty," the CD single is now available at http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/oho4
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Saudi Arabia sentenced a man to ten years in prison for using Twitter to "encourage protests" against the rulers and another to eight years for "insulting" the King and "inciting protests" on Twitter and other social media. The Saudi Justice Ministry spokesman said the men's actions undermine the country's leadership, are hostile to the government and promote deviant ideologies. Both sentences were pronounced days after the country officially declared the Muslim Brotherhood to be a terrorist organization. Saudi Arabia further warned that any Saudi or foreigner residing there could be sentenced to heavy jail terms for joining extremist groups or participating in such groups' activities. The Interior Ministry statement also criminalized atheism on the part of Saudis or residents. The nation's ongoing intent is to severely limit freedoms of expression and religion while countering extremism and terrorism and frequently violate internationally-recognized human rights.
(thanks to http://www.cnn.com/2014/03/11/world/meast/saudi-arabia-twitter-jail/index.html?hpt=hp_t2)
OHO's
"Ocean City Ditty," the
CD single is now available at http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/oho4
(and, if
you're in town, at Trax On Wax on Frederick Rd. in Catonsville, MD).
My latest solo release, Black & White Then Back,
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(or you can copy-and-paste this URL directly to
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(from http://worldnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/09/19/20582863-mozart-and-french-cars-what-we-know-about-the-popes-likes-and-why-it-matters?lite)
". . . Pope Francis took a selfie with youths from the Italian Diocese of Piacenza and Bobbio inside St. Peter's Basilica in August.
— Selfies. Benedict XVI started the official Vatican Twitter account, @pontifex, and Francis makes use of it almost daily. (Why not? He already has more than a billion followers.)
But the new pope is just as much an Instagram guy. In August, a group of 500 young people was visiting the Vatican from a diocese in Italy. He called them “bearers of hope,” and then mugged for the camera. Behold, the papal selfie. . ."
Well, maybe. I don't understand 'shallow' earthquakes compared to 'deep'(?) ones, but if the fact that it was 'shallow' was to our benefit, I hope to never experience one of the 'other' variety.
(from Jacob Adelman, The Associated Press)
". . ."Really all this excitement over a 5.8 quake??? Come on East Coast, we have those for breakfast out here!!!!" wrote Dennis Miller, 50, a lifelong California resident whose house in Pleasanton sits on an earthquake fault line.
On Twitter and Facebook and over email, people circulated a photo of a table and four plastic lawn chairs in a serene garden setting. One of the chairs flipped on its back. The mock image carried the title "DC Earthquake Devastation."
All the more laughable for some were the images of people fleeing buildings — the exact opposite of what you're supposed to do in a quake.
"Hey East Coast, the entire West Coast is mocking you right now," tweeted Todd Walker, an Anchorage TV anchorman.
Later Tuesday, a small earthquake centered near Oakland shook the San Francisco Bay area. The magnitude 3.6 quake struck at about 11:36 p.m. PDT and was also felt by people across the bay in San Francisco.
The tough earthquake talk comes from a coast that is apparently jaded by its own seismic activity — or perhaps not as experienced as it imagines itself to be.
Tuesday's quake was the East Coast's largest since 1944. California alone has seen 35 quakes of that size since then, and since Japan's massive 9.0 quake on March 11, that country has experienced 93 aftershocks that registered more than magnitude-6.0. . ."
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